2026-02-18
Coen McGarrah et al.
Southern oyster drill snails ( Stramonita haemastoma complex) are nuisance organisms within the Gulf of Mexico. This is due to their damaging impact on recovering and farmed oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) populations, which are one of the drills’ main food sources. Oyster reef recovery and increased aquaculture production are priorities for Mississippi and the wider northern Gulf coast. The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) hosts multiple oyster reef restoration sites within its boundaries, yet no comprehensive survey of oyster drill abundance has been conducted in this area to date. Additionally, knowledge of oyster drill preferences for sediment composition within their wider habitat is limited. The aim of this project was to determine sediment and water quality preferences of oyster drills in the NERR, as well as identify hotspots. Over 6 weeks, we conducted a field survey of the oyster drill population with 36 traps grouped along 12 transects, spread across 3 areas of the estuary - Bangs Lake (BL), Bangs Bayou (BB) and Point aux Chenes Bay (PAC), with reef restoration sites occurring in BB and PAC. In conjunction with traps, we measured relative depth, transect-event water quality, and collected sediment from each trap site. Drills were more abundant in mid - south PAC and east BL. Across other transects, they were more often found in mid-transect locations, which were also often the mid-depth of each transect. Our findings on drill abundance, sediment characteristics, water quality and site preferences can be used to inform future reef restoration efforts and drill mitigation techniques.
2026-02-13
Steven Vroljik et al.
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) supports nekton and epifaunal macroinvertebrates, sustaining food webs and ecosystem services in estuaries. Invasive SAV can alter these dynamics by displacing native vegetation and restructuring communities. In Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta (MTD), Eurasian milfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum ) is rapidly expanding and outcompeting native wild celery ( Vallisneria americana) . This study compared nekton and epifaunal assemblages between M. spicatum and V. americana , focusing on edge versus interior positions. Nekton surveys identified 22 taxa ( M. spicatum , n = 13; V. americana , n = 18), but assemblages did not differ significantly between vegetation types nor positions, suggesting motile nekton use both habitats similarly. Seventeen epifauna taxa were identified ( M. spicatum , n = 16; V. americana , n = 14), with these communities showing strong vegetation-specific and some within-bed spatial patterns. A significant interaction between habitat and position revealed differences between M. spicatum and V. americana , with edge-interior contrasts occurring only in M. spicatum , potentially due to higher structural complexity of this SAV. Moreover, M. spicatum supported higher epifaunal richness, abundance, and diversity; SIMPER analyses showed that ~72% of the community differences between V. americana and M. spicatum were driven by Gammarus sp., Chironomus sp., damselfly taxa, and Hydrobiidae. Similarly, the same 4 taxa explained ~72% of the edge–interior dissimilarity, with all but Hydrobiidae more abundant at edges. Overall, nekton assemblages appear resilient across SAV types, while epifaunal communities respond strongly to vegetation structure and bed position, highlighting potential shifts in some community dynamics with expansion of invasive SAV.
2026-01-21
Mark S. Peterson et al.
2026-01-12
Donald R. Johnson et al.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (ABFT), migrate long distances to broadcast spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) basin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Slope Sea (NW Atlantic). These areas have commonalities including a highly dynamic upper ocean eddy environment that draws nutrients from shallow thermoclines and adjacent continental shelves and can provide temporal sanctuaries from some larval predators. In the GOM basin, the Loop Current (LC) and its energetic spin—off eddies sweep weak swimming predators such as jellyfish ( Pelagia noctiluca ) into lines and aggregations, leaving relatively open areas as temporal sanctuaries for ABFT larvae during the vulnerable egg—to— flexion developmental stages (~9 days). In this study, archived HYCOM modeled currents are used to disperse a grid of hypothetical drifting particles in the GOM basin to determine the spatial and temporal extent of the structured mesoscale environment in relation to life histories of both ABFT and jellyfish. Although short lived submesoscale processes, such as Langmuir mixing, are important to marine biota, they tend to be entrained within the mesoscale events and carried with them. We suggest that physical dynamics of the GOM basin result in temporal predator— reduced ABFT spawn/nursery areas. It was found that persistently cleared regions occurred within the area of LC intrusion and along the northern GOM continental shelf/slope, specifically the eastern wall of the DeSoto Canyon, the Mississippi River Outflow/Mississippi Canyon area and the northwestern corner of the GOM basin. Fishery protection of spawning ABFT from long—line bycatch should be considered in these areas.
2026-01-09
Elizabeth R. Whitman et al.
Halophila stipulacea , a seagrass native to the western Indian Ocean, has become an established invader throughout the western Atlantic, where it often outcompetes native seagrass species across diverse environmental conditions. Here, we report its presence in the northern Bahamas, ca. 2300 km northwest of the first Caribbean record in Grenada and 304 km northeast of the recent observation in Florida, USA. This range expansion represents the northernmost Caribbean record to date and highlights the species’ capacity for long-distance dispersal and continued spread within the region. Our observation underscores the need for coordinated monitoring efforts to track the trajectory of this invasion and evaluate its site specific ecological consequences for Caribbean seagrass ecosystems.
2026-01-06
Mark S. Peterson
2025-12-19
Justin Osborne et al.
2025-12-14
Judith E. Winston
Marine bryozoans have about 6,000 living species and many fossil species going back to the early Ordovician. As suspension feeders they can be an important part of keeping the ocean healthy. Yet, as colonial organisms, even though present in habitats from estuaries and continental shelves to the deep sea, they are often treated as background for mobile organisms. There is still much to learn about their lives and relationships. This Ocean Reflection describes my career as a museum scientist from the 1970s to today, beginning at a time when it was often difficult as a woman to find a way forward. Though my path wasn’t direct, perseverance paid off and I found a museum career. The article summarizes some of the things we have learned about bryozoans (and those who studied them) during the last part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st and suggests some mysteries still to be unraveled.
2025-11-19
Polly Hajovsky et al.
Detecting the ingress of larval and early juvenile fishes into estuaries is crucial for understanding the early life stages and population dynamics of species—specific recruitment seasonality. However, monitoring these early life stages presents challenges due to their small size, seasonal variability, spatial patchiness, and their use of structurally complex habitats. Although plankton nets have been widely used to sample larval fishes, light traps have been found to have more flexibility, durability, and cost—effective. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light traps for sampling larval and early juvenile fishes in a Texas estuary. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the efficiency and selectivity of light traps, and 2) the seasonal differences in taxa and diversity observed in light traps. Light traps were deployed in shallow, shoreline habitats in the upper reaches of Matagorda Bay, TX. A total of 24 families were observed with the top family, Clupeidae, making up 50.3% of the total number of individuals caught. Spring had significantly higher catch—per—unit—effort, family richness, and family diversity than the other seasons. Length frequency distribution ranged from 3−58 SL mm. Light traps allowed for the sampling of shallow complex habitats while capturing size ranges that are underrepresented in fisheries monitoring programs that utilize trawls and seines.
2025-11-18
Israel Medina-Gómez
One of the most active cyclone seasons in decades for the Atlantic occurred during 2020. The Yucatan Peninsula (YP) lies along the corridor of Atlantic hurricanes and experiences heavy rainfalls brought about by such hydrometeorological events. The groundwater level was inferred during this period from time series provided by NASA’s GLDAS model. The study domain encompassed geohydrologically distinctive areas in the YP, including the juxtaposition among intact water reserves, secondary vegetation, and livestock—impacted areas. The overall purpose of this research was to inspect the hydrologic cycle constraints across a mainly unconfined aquifer and undertake a sub—regional scale test of the aquifer system’s sensitivity to extreme hydrometeorological phenomena. The northern YP aquifers’ water table rose as a direct response to abundant rainfall during these hydrometeorological events. A relatively sluggish hydrologic gradient relaxation (~7 mm/day) was evident for a protected area after these storm—driven increases. By comparing the aquifers’ response to past strong hurricanes, it was hypothesized that the former system’s recovery capability to normal water levels (resilience) has been undermined. A paramount question this study aims to answer is whether the YP physiography conditions further aquifer responses to extreme rainfall events, and how they are modulated by prevalent vegetation across the karstified landscape. Peak nearshore chlorophyll— a following heavy rainfalls adjacent to an inland area featuring high sinkhole density and impacted vegetation due to cattle production as the main economic activity was discussed in terms of further implications under an increased cyclone frequency scenario and current regional development paradigms.
2025-10-06
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr. et al.
Animal populations often experience acute natural disturbances, most of which are connected to short—term weather events. Occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones during the peak of the avian breeding season are likely to increase with climate change, which can substantially impact populations of coastal breeding birds at multiple scales. To understand the acute impacts of severe tropical cyclones, we investigated how abundances of breeding birds changed before and after 4 early season named tropical cyclones on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. We detected a change in pre— versus post—storm numbers of breeding birds after 2 out of 4 storms between 2015–2020. Following Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricane Barry, significant declines in breeding adults ranged from a reduction of 32 Willets ( Tringa semipalmata ) to 105 Wilson’s Plover ( Anarhynchus wilsoni a) and 18 Willets to 1,794 Black Skimmer ( Rynchops niger ), respectively. The lack of response following 2 storms was likely due to the location of the storms relative to the island. Following the 2 storms that did elicit a response by breeding birds, we observed lower abundances in the majority of species after the storm passed. Species life histories and habitat restoration might explain the species—specific responses we observed. Our study documents occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones negatively affecting coastal breeding birds, which could be exacerbated with sea level rise. Additionally, our findings may provide insights regarding island design and nest susceptibility to flooding events, which may aid land managers as well as conservation and restoration planners.